Anna Aurion, Key of the Twilight
by Wavemasterkaz
Summary: Hearing someone singing in the woods, Kratos wonders if Anna could be back from the dead. But, they meet Aura, a girl who has been asleep for 15 years. As they help Aura find her lost memories, the secrets of her past unfold and change their lives forever
1. Ch1 Memories and a Song

**Okay. This fan fic is kind of...ok..really long, so don't read it if you don't have a lot of time. CONTAINS SPoiLERS! PLEASE NOTE: Anna is my own made up character, i'm just using her for the role of Kratos' wife. OK?**

**AND: This fan fic is a combo of Tales of Symphonia, .Hack/sign and a few songs i know.**

**_Italics:_song**

**" ":talking**

**( ):thinking**

** :whispering**

**Chapter One:Memories and a Song**

Lost in memories, Kratos Aurion sighed as he remembered that night, so

many long years ago. That horrible night that he had been forced to kill his

beloved wife, anna.

Fifteen years had passed since then, but the sadness still gripped him like an

icy fist whenever he though about it. And because he had killed her, he hadn't been able to see his son, Lloyd, grow up. But now, after all this time, Kratos had met his son once again, even though Lloyd had no idea that Kratos was his father. He eventually found out, but not in the way he would have liked. Lloyd refused to believe it at first, and Kratos couldn't blame him. He was, after all, a traitor.

"Da...Kratos, is something wrong?" Lloyd's voice broke through Kratos' thoughts.

"Hmm? Oh. It's nothing," The group was walking through a dense forest, and while everyone else had been walking ahead, talking happily, he had been walking slowly behind them, saying nothing. Lloyd, now walking beside his father said,

"You were thinking about mom weren't you?" Kratos remained silent. Lloyd didn't push, which was unlike him, but instead walked silently, but not sadly as if he was simply enjoying his father's company. Suddenly, Colette stopped and said,

"Does anyone hear that?" Everyone stopped and listened.

"I don't hear anything." said Sheena.

"Yeah, me neither." agreed Genis.

"You sure you really heard something, Colette?" Zelos inquired.

"M-maybe not..."Colette replied uncertainly. "Let's go." The group began to move further, but after a few minutes, Colette stopped again. This time, Genis said,

"_Now_ I hear something." A soft melody echoed through the trees. It almost sounded like someone was singing.

"It's coming from over there." said Sheena, pointing northeast of the direction they had been heading in.

"Someone's...singing..." nuttered Lloyd to Kratos, but Kratos had already heard it. He was listening with a look of disbelief on his face. Suddenly, he took off at full speed in the direction of the singing.

"Da...Kratos! Wait! Where are you going?" Lloyd yelled.


	2. Ch2 Fifteen Years

**Chapter Two**

_If you are near to the dark,_

_I will tell you 'bout the sun._

_You are here, no escape,_

_from my visions of the world._

_You will cry, all alone,_

_but it does not mean a thing, to me._

Kratos kept running as fast as he could, even though he could hear Lloyd and the others calling him back. The haunting voice that rang in his ears was so familiar...one he thought he would never hear again. One thought kept running through his mind.(It can't possibly be her. There's no way. But I have to be sure.)

_Knowing the song, I will sing,_

_'till the darkness comes to sleep._

_Come to me, I will tell,_

_'bout the secret of the sun._

_It's in you, not in me,_

_but it does not mean a thing to you._

Once out of breath, Kratos stopped to catch it. Bent over with his hands on his knees, he listened for the haunting melody that echoed through the trees.

_The sun is in your eyes,_

_the sun is in your ears._

_I hope you see the sun,_

_someday in the darkness._

A few seconds later, after Kratos had regained his breath, he began to run in the direction that the melody was coming from.

_The sun is in your eyes,_

_the sun is in your ears._

_I hope you see the sun,_

_someday in the darkness._

Suddenly, the trees in front of him were gone and Kratos burst into a clearing. He stopped running and stared in disbelief at what he saw.

_It does not much matter to me..._

Just in front of him there was a bed. And floating above the bed was a girl. She wore a light blue sleevless shirt, with light blue sleeves rather like Kratos' coming to just above her elbows, two blue belts, blue pants, brown leather boots light blue gloves and a big gold bracelet with undecipherable writting on it. It gleamed as though a bright light was shining on it.

Her long brown hair was flowing around her face as though it was being blown in the wind. Her eyes were closed as though she were sleeping. Around her floated a teddy bear, a sword, a magic user's staff and an odd gem of some kind. kratos slowly walked over to where she slept , then reached out with his hand and gently touched her cheek, as if to make sure that she wasn't an illusion. Her skin felt soft and warm under his fingers... and so familiar...

(What the hell is up with him?) Lloyd thought to himself as he ran. He was running out of breath and was wishing they could just hurry and find Kratos, when they burst into the girl's clearing. there, they saw himstaring transfixed at the girl.

"What the...?" Genis exclaimed. They all stared at the girl, but none of them got any closer. Then, from nowhere, came a voice,

"I...am the guardian... As long as you walk with me...I...shall protect you." The voice echoed at every pause. "The time has come to awaken...awaken...Key of the Twilight...Cruxis calls you..."

A soft purple light surrounded the girl and she floated down so that she was standing in front of Kratos, facing him. Black feathery wings sprouted from her back, as the light around her faded. She slowly opened her blue eyes, which were blank and staring. There seemed to be no shine in them at all. she began to speak in an untranslatable language and raised her arms above her head..

As she spoke, purple lightning struck the ground around her. She now spoke in english, but she sounded like Presea had when she was under the effects of the Cruxis Crystal.

"You...are not Mithos...be gone, intruders." More lightning struck the ground, but one of them hit her. She went flying into the air, but landed where she had been standing. Landing on the ground, she coughed, slowly sat up, then stood up.

"oooh...that hurt." she now spoke in a normal voice, but she sounded weak and injured. Looking around, she said, "I...I'm awake? B-but...how long?" she paused, then said, "wow...fifteen years...I've slept for fifteen years..."

(Fifteen years?) Kratos thought, (But that's how long Anna's been-) His mind froze as the girl cried out in pain and fell to her knees, clutching her stomach.

"Wha...what's happening!" The black wings on her back vanished and her bracelet began to glow once more. Suddenly, bright rays of light shot from it and a glowing green crystal on a gold chain appeared in front of her. Voices then came from nowhere and the ghost of a boy materialized in front of her, a glowing green light surrounding him.


	3. Ch3 Tsukasa

**Chapter Three: Tsukasa**

The boy had silvery white hair that came down to his chin, purple eyes, red marking on his face that looked like F's and he had a slightly depressed look on his face. He wore an odd hat with red gems decorating it, a brown robe with a beige short sleeved jacket over it, a brown belt that his jacket was tucked into, and the same kind of boots as the girl. He also carried a magic user's staff similaar to the one float9ing around the girl's bed.

"Tsu...kasa?" the girl said slowly.. The boy said nothing, but simply stood there. "Tsukasa," the girl said again, "Is it you?"

"Aura..." the boy said.

"He sound just like... Mithos!" Genis cried. He was right. Tsukasa sounded exactly like Mithos had.

"Tsukasa! It's you!" the girl cried.

"Aura...how could you leave me, Aura? How could you leave me this way?" He raised his staff and an odd looking cat appeared. It stood like a human and wore a withch's hat, scarecrow-ish clothes, and a purple sash(rather like Sheena's pink one) tied in a bow at it's back. It had big shiny red eyes, a lilac star around it's left eye, and the right side of it's face was also lilac. It also wore wore one white glove, one purple glove and it had a long white tail and big cat feet.

"Miha...get rid of her...don't let her hurt me again..." Tsukasa whispered. Miha noddec and Tsukasa disappeared.

"Tsukasa!" the girl cried. "Tsukasa! Wait! I..." Miha then pointed her hand at the girl, who's eyes went blank as she fell to the ground. The cat looked sadly at her once more, then disappeared.


	4. Ch4 Who Am I?

**Chapter Four: Who Am I?**

Three days had apssed since they had found her, but still the girl did not wake up. After bringing her to a doctor, they found out that she was merely unconscious and would wake up in perfect health. They decided to stay at an inn in Asgard, City of Ruins, so they would be able to take a break and so she could rest safely. It was the evening of the third day when Colette and Lloyd were sitting at a table in the inn lobby, talking.

"I wonder when she'll wake up?" Colette worried. "I hope she doesn't sleep for another fifteen years."

"Dunno," Lloyd replied. "But I'm more worried about Da...Kratos...He hasn't eaten or slept since we found her, and he won't leave that chair by her bed."

"Yeah, he _has_ been acting wierd." Colette agreed. "You don't think he knows her, do you?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, he's more worried about her than anyone else is..." Colette said.

"Yeah, that makes sense..." Lloyd said thoughtfully. While the two were talking about him, Kratos sat by the girl's bed, gathering his thoughts. What did all of this mean? Could this really be her? If it was, why was she back? Why did she mention Mithos? Why had she slept for fifteen years? So many unanswered questions ran through his mind. He turned his head to look at her. She looked so peaceful despite all that had happened. Kratos sighed and stood up. Footsteps echoed up the stairs, which meant that someone was coming to get him. As if on cue, Raine opened the door.

"Kratos, Yuan is waiting outside for you.He says he has an urgent message." she said. Kratos nodded and left the room. Raine looked at the girl.

"Just who are you?" she muttered. "He knows you, but who are you?" With this, she left the room. As she shut the door, the girl opened her eyes, slowly sat up and said to no one,

"I...can't remember..." Pulling her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, and hiding her face in her knees, she whispered,

"Who am I?"


	5. Ch5 Aura

**Chapter Five: Aura**

After hearing the urgent message from Yuan, which turned out not to be very important, just that he could not find a way to Derris-Kharlan, Kratos went back into the inn and began to climb the stairs without speaking a word to anyone. When he opened the door to the girl's room, he stared at what he saw. The girl was no longer in the bed where she had been the last few days, but was instead sitting sideways in the window, with her knees pulled up to her chest, her back resting against the wall. She was staring outside, but turned and looked when he came in.

"Oh." she said. "It's you." She looked at him as if waiting for him to say something, but when he didn't, she said, "Sorry if I...sounded rude just now."

"It's...fine." Kratso replied. "But...you're awake..."

"I woke up just this morning." she said quietly. "I'm sorry I pretended to be asleep, but I didn't really feel like talking to anyone and I needed to think."

"Well, do you wish to talk to anyone now?" Kratos asked hopefully.

"I guess I could use some company." the woman replied. They talked for the good part of an hour, and Kratos told her everything about they're adventures and fight against Mithos' reighn. He also found out from her that she had lost all of her memories. She couldn't remember who she was or where she had come from.

"I can't even remember my own name." she admitted. "So I guess I can't tell you what you can call me..." After a paues, she said, "But Tsukasa called me Aura...Could that be what my name is?"

"Hmm..."Kratos thought for a moment.

"For some reason, I know it;s not, but...that's what you can call me until I remember my real name...So I guess my new name...is Aura." Kratos nodded.

"Aura."


	6. Ch6 About Kratos

**Chapter Six: About Kratos**

Deciding that he wanted to talk to hsis father about the sleeping girl, Lloyd began to climb the stairs to the girl's room. It was silent as usual, so he opened the door. Kratos was asleep in his chair, but the girl wasn't sleeping in her bed where she usually was. Instead, she was sitting in the windowsill with her legs dangling out the open window. As she heard him come in, she turned her head and looked at him.

"Oh." she said in a quiet voice. "You must be...Lloyd, right?"

"Y-yeah." Lloyd stammered, taken aback that this woman knew his name. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again as the girl said,

"Kratos told me about all of you." Lloyd looked at his father.

"Kratos?" the girl nodded. She looked at Kratos, then at Lloyd, then stood up and walked over to him. Holding out her hand, she said

"I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Aura." Lloyd slowly took her hand and shook it. Aura smiled. It was a warm, kind smile that made Lloyd feel like he'd seen it before. "Did you wake up today?" he asked. Aura nodded, then said,

"We talked shortly after I woke up, but he fell asleep a few minutes ago." Lloyd looked back to Kratos. "I don't really want to wake him." Aura said. "He doesn't look like he's slept for a while."

"Not since we found you, three days ago." muttered Lloyd. Aura was silent for a moment, then asked,

"Did you come up here to talk to him?" Lloyd nodded. Aura smiled, the said, "He talked a lot about you."

"He did?"

"Yeah." Aura told him. "He regrets that he dragged you into everything and he still can't forgive himslef for everything he's put you through." Lloyd stared at his father. The angel of Cruxis was asleep with his arms crossed and his head flopped down onto his chest, his mouth slightly open. It was impossible to see his full expression however, because his dark red hair hid his eyes. "He told me everything that happened." Lloyd said nothing. "So everything about Martel and he angel was just set up by Cruxis abd Yggdrasill..." She looked at Lloyd, studying him. Seeing the exsphere on his hand, she said, a bit angrily,

"But the thing that gets me the most is how exspheres are made! I can't believe they're made fro human lives!" Lloyd sadly looked at his feet.

"Yeah...just like...Just like Mom..." Aura put her hand on his shoulder. Startled, Lloyd looked up at her.

"Kratos also told me about what happened to Anna ." she said softly. She was silent for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry." Lloyd averted his gaze back to his feet. The regret in Aura's eyes made him feel ten times worse. Before he could do or say anything else, Genis' voice echoed up the stairs, calling for Lloyd.

"You'd better not keep them waiting." Aura said gently. Lloyd nodded, then left. As the door closed, a sharp pain shot through Aura's head. Bringing her hand up to her forehead, she watched the scenes that flashed through her memory. An exsphere being ripped from a human hand. A monster roaring and bursting through the wall of a Desian human ranch. Then, everything went black and a familiar sounding male voice cried out in pain and terror. Shivering, Aura shook her head to clear it, then looked at her right hand, which was covered by a light blue glove. She shook her head again, then said to herself,

"Wait...what am I...remembering?" She put her hand down and returned to her place in the windowsill. And although she didn't look, she now knew that on her hand, there was a small scar, where a small red exsphere had once been.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: Fake Wings**

When Kratos awoke, Aura was asleep in her new usual spot in the windowsill, sitting as she had been when Kratos had first discovered her awake, head resting on her knees. Kratos stood up and walked over to her. As he watched her, she sighed and put her right hand beside her. The light blue glove on her hand was halfway down to her fingers, revealing a small round scar in the middle of her hand. Kratos pulled the glove all the way back up to her wrist, then after hesitating for a moment, picked her up and carried her over to her bed. He gently put her down and left the room.

About an hour later, Kratos was climbing the stairs after speaking with Lloyd. He was about to open the door, when he heard a soft sweet song.

_Shine, bright morning light,_

_now in the air the spring is coming._

Opening the door quietly, he went in. In her perch in the windowsill, Aura was gazing out at the bright blue sky, singing in a soft gentle voice,

_Sweet, blowing wind,_

_singing down the hills and valleys._

_Keep your eyes on me,_

_now we're on the edge of hell._

_Dear my love, sweet morning light,_

_wait for me, you've gone much farther...too far..._

As she sang the last line of the song, Aura sighed and pulled her knees closer to her chest. Suddenly, as if she could feel him watching her, Aura turned and looked up at Kratos, who was staring at her. She simply looked at him for a moment, then said,

"Hey...I didn't hear you come in." Kratos said nothing, but returned to his chair by her bed. "So...I suppose you heard my song...?" Kratos nodded, then said,

"You...have a beautiful voice." Aura looked at her knees.

"Th-thank you." her face was a bit pink, and perhaps she realized this, for she quickly looked back out the window. "I...remember this song from my past...I don't know why I rememeber it, but I do...It's called...Fake Wings."

"Fake Wings..." Kratos muttered. "Anna used to sing that..." Aura said nothing. After a few minutes of silence, she said,

"I-I'd like to meet everyone." she said, as if she had been thinking about it for a long time. Kratos nodded, then stood up. Aura went over to her bed and grabbed her staff which was leaning against the wall and then followed Kratos out the door and began to go downstairs.


	8. Ch8 Aura Acting Strange

**Chapter Eight:Aura Acting Strange**

Everyone was extremely surprised when Aura came down the stairs with Kratos. Everyone except Lloyd however. No one else had known that she was awake. A few minutes later however, the shock had worn off and evryone had introduced themselves. Everyone seemed to like Aura enough. After a short time, she was laughing and joking with everyone as if she had known them for years. Since she had awakened, Aura had noy looked this happy, and it slightly disturbed Kratos that he dreaded the thought of her ever looking as depressed again.

A short while later, Aura glanced down at her hand, the one with the strange bracelet on it, and sudden;y stood up and said that she was feeling tired and was going to go back to her room to rest. As she walked up the stairs past Kratos, however, he noticed that she looked more anxious that tired.

Kratos slowly and quietly went up after her, careful that she wouldn't notice him. Before going into her room, Aura looked around to make sure that she wasn't being followed, the went in and closed the door behind her. A few seconds later, Kratos followed her. Opening the door silently, he peeked in to see if he could see her, but there was no one in the room. Or so he thought. At the last second, he saw her jump oout of the window.

(We;re on the third floor!) Kratos thought. (No human could survive a fall like that!) Rushing to the window, Kratos saw Aura land in a cat-like way, look around, then run toward the Asgard Ruins. Hesitating for a minute, Kratos pulled out his wings and flew after her.


	9. Ch9 Meeting With Miha

**Chapter Nine:Meeting With Miha**

Although Aura was running as fast as she could, Kratos quickly caught up to her. Flying silently above Aura, he watched as she got to the ruin, then ran behind it, catching her breath, looking as though she were waiting for someone. As Kratos watched, the same cat that had appeared before Tsukasa in Aura's clearing, materialized out of thin air,

"Miha!" cried Aura. Miha nodded, then looked like she was speaking, but no words escaped her lips. Aura seemed to hear her, however, because a few minutes later, she said,

"Alright!" then ran off as Miha disappeared.


	10. Ch10 Aura at the Ruins

**Chapter Ten:Aura at the Ruins**

The nest few days passed without Aura giving any sign that she had met with Miha. Only Kratos knew that she had spoken with the cat. On the day that the group had decided to leave, Aura was nowhere to be found. Seeing as her staff was in her room at the inn, they knew she had to bre somewhere in the city. After searching all of Asgard with no luck, they decided to search by the ruins.

"There she is!" Colette exclaimed suddenly. Standing on the stone dais was Aura. She was staring at the sky, her hair and clothes blowing in the wind. When she heard Colette yell, she turned and looked. Smiling, she ran toward them.

"Sorry! Where you all looking for me?" Lloyd nodded. "I just came up here to think." she said. She turned and looked at the stone dais behind her.

"What about?" Lloyd inquired. Aura looked back at him.

"Well..." Aura replied uncertainly.

"Oh. Right." said Lloyd. "You're memories." Aura nodded.

"I feel like I've been here before, but I can't remember." Everyone was silent for a moment before Kratos said that they should go back to the inn and rest before their departure.

Later that night, when everyone else was asleep, Kratos sat alone in the inn lobby. He had been unable to sleep and did not want to wake Lloyd, whom he was sharing a room with, so he had come downstairs to think. All was silent for most of the time he had been sitting there, except for a few coughs and a sneeze from some of the upstairs rooms.

Kratos had gotten used to how quiet things weres, so the sound of someone coming down the stairs made him jump. Although the person coming down the stairs sounded as though they were trying to go unheard, but his angelic hearing made the sound ten times louder than it really was. Kratos sat motionless in the shadows, bot daring to make a sound.

Aura crept down the stairs and through the lobby, walking very quietly. She seemed to be sneaking out. After checking to see that no one was following her, she went outside. Wondering where she was going, Kratos followed her. Once outside, he saw that she was running toward the ruins again. When she arrived, she ran her fingers over the stone. Out of nowhere, the dragon plushie that had been floating around her in the clearing, appeared.

"Ryugo..." Aura mumured. The dragon blinked at her.

"Whassa matter, Aura?" it said in a squeaky voice. "You were only supposed to call me if you really needed some help."

"I'm sorry..." Aura replied. "But I really need you to look for important people for me, ok?" Ryugo nodded then disappeared.

Aura turned just as Kratos walked up.

"Am I...interrupting anything?" he asked. She stared at him for amoment, then said,

"N-no." she turned to look at the stone dais again. "I...just came up here to think..." Kratos walked over and stood beside her, also staring at the dais. "I...keep feeling like I've been here before." Kratos looked at her. "I made a deal...with Miha..."

"A deal?" Kratos asked.

"Y-yes..." Aura replied. "If I can find important people or places fro my past, she will give me back a piece of memory concerning my...my death...then I'll remember everything."

"Death?"

"When I became the Key of the Twilight, I died. And my body was regenerated in exchange for my memories."

"Is this a memory you recovered?" Kratos inquired.

"No. Miha gave told me when I woke up." Aura replied. Kratos said nothing and turned to look at the stone dais. They were silent for a moment, but then Kratos asked,

"Have you regained any memories yet?" Aura nodded.

"Yes. The other day, when I...spoke with...with Lloyd, I got a small piece...but I don't remember him...and now...I feel like there is something important here." She shook her head exasperated.

"I...I want to remember! I really do! But...I don't know where any of the people or places are! And...I don't want to make anyone go out of their way to help me search!"

"I'm sure the chsoen would be willing to help you." Kratos said. "We were only headed to Iselia to visit Dirk."

"Dirk?" Aura asked. Kratos nodded.

"The dwarf who raised Lloyd when..." he broke off. Aura sighed.

"When you had to kill Anna." she finished. they weres ilent for a moment and neither moved a muscle. But after a few minutes, Aura said,

"Would you all reall help?" Kratos looked at her.

"The chosen is a kind person. She will be more than willing to help, as will the rest of us." he paused. "i wil ask them tomorrow." Aura looked at him with her eyes shining.

"Thank you! Thanks so much!" she said as she flung he arms around his neck and hugged him tightly before running off in the direction of the inn.


	11. Ch11 The Search Begins

**Ch.11: The Search Begins/On the Moonlit Bridge**

Kratos stood motion for a minute, staring numbly in the direction Aura had run in. His heart was racing and a few seconds later, he realized that his face was bright red, but he didn't care.

When Aura had hugged him, it reminded him of the first time Anna had hugged him that way. It was strange how much his girl, whom he had only met a few days ago, was so much like his beloved wife he had lost so long ago.

The next day, as he had promised, Kratos asked the others if they would help Aura search Sylvarant for parts of her lost memories. Aura was hopeful that they would only have to find important places, for there were far too many people in Sylvarant to search for just one.

They traveled half of Sylvarant before they ended up in Palmacosta with no luck.

"This is gonna be harder than I thought." Aura moaned one when they arrived at the inn. A few hours later, everyone had fallen asleep in their rooms, except Aura and Kratos. They stood on the bridge near the inn, looking out at the water. Kratos was leaning against the railing, and aura was sitting on it. The moon shone bright against the black sky that was sprinkled with stars. The waster flowing under the bridge was calm, and the moon reflected in the water was as bright as the one in the sky. Neither moved or made a sound, enjoying the calm, quiet night. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked, making the first sound for a few hours. Aura also broke the silence by hopping down from the bridge railing. The sound of her boots hitting the stone seemed to echo louder than usual, and Kratos turned to look at her, partly afraid that she was going to leave and go back to the inn. She stretched and sighed in a happy sounding way, then turned to face Kratos.

"It's so nice out tonight.," she said. "The moon, the stars, everything." Kratos said nothing. She walked over and stood beside him, facing the water. She breathed in deeply, taking the salty sea air into her lungs. "Y'know," she said. "The city seems a lot smaller at night...and so peaceful..." Kratos turned to face the water as well, but still said nothing. "I wonder..." muttered Aura. Kratos looked at her questioningly. Seeing this, Aura said,

"I wonder why I regained a piece of my memory when I spoke to Lloyd?" Could he be an important person from my past?"

"It is a possibility." Kratos said. Aura nodded.

"Yeah, I guess." she said. "And I...uh...never mind." Kratos said nothing. Instead he turned to face Aura and looked at her. She was staring out at the moon.

"Aura..." he said. She looked at him, an expression of concern on her face. His voice had sounded a bit shaky. He didn't know how he was going to say it, but he knew what he wanted to say, what he desperately needed to say. "Aura, I think I know who you really are." he finally managed to say. Aura looked at him in amazement.

"You do?" Kratos nodded. "Who? How do you know? Please! Tell me!" she pleaded. Kratos opened his mouth to tell her, but suddenly Miha materialized out of nowhere, stopping him. She turned and put out her hand. A bright purple light surrounded Aura and her eyes went blank. Miha turned to face Kratos and began to "speak", but this time, the words came out of Aura's mouth.

"Please. You must not tell her." Kratos opened his mouth to protest, but Miha cut him off. "If you tell her, all the mana in her body will be released, killing her. She must find the pieces of her memory on her own. I'm sorry, but it is the only way, because of her Twilight Crystal." Miha bowed her head. "Please. Do not tell her." After Miha disappeared, Aura's eyes returned to normal, and it was as if nothing had happened.

"Please! Tell me! Who am I?" she pleaded. Kratos looked away sadly, a weight heavy in his chest.

"Aura...I'm sorry..." he said quietly. Aura looked at him anxiously.

"What?"

"I...can't..." he said.

"W-wha? Why?" Aura demanded. "Why can't you tell me?" She looked helplessly at him, a need in her eyes. Kratos was silent for a moment, then reached out and embraced her, hugging her like a young child who has just awoken from a nightmare.

"I can't..." he said. "I just can't...I'm sorry." He continued to hold her tightly, as if he never wanted to let her go, Aura stood motionless for a moment, he mind racing. Why was Kratos so familiar? She tried to think of where she knew him from, but to her despair, she couldn't remember. After a moment, Kratos released her and stared at her. She was trembling and tears were running down her face.

"I can't believe…Miha..would do this….Why?" she said quietly.

"If I told you, the mana in your body would kill you." Kratos explained. Aura sighed. More tears ran down her face, but she wiped them away impatiently. Forcing a smile onto her face, she said,

"It's getting late. I'm going back to the inn. See you tomorrow!" With that she ran back to the inn, leaving Kratos alone on the moonlit bridge.


	12. Ch12 Aura's True Identity

**Chapter 12: Aura's True Identity**

Having noticed that Kratos' bed was empty, Lloyd left the room the two had been sharing to look for him. He was just about to open the door to leave the inn, when suddenly, Aura opened the door and came in. She stared at him for a moment, surprised.

"A-Aura, what's wrong?" Lloyd asked. Aura didn't answer. Instead, she pushed past him and hurried to her room, locking the door behind her. He stared after her for a minute, before opening the door and going outside. He lloked around, then saw Kratos standing alone on the bridge. Lloyd walked over and stood beside him.

"Did you get in a fight with Aura or something?" he asked suddenly. Kratos was silent for a moment, then said,

"No...why?" Lloyd looked at him and said,

"Because she came in when I left. She looked pretty upset and she was crying." Kratos sighed. "What happened?" Kratos didn't answer. Instead, he turned to face his son.

"Lloyd, do you know who Aura is?" Lloyd was startled by this sudden question. He looked up at his father, who was staring intently at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you know Aura's true identity?" Kratos asked. Lloyd shook his head.

"N-no, why?" Kratos looked away.

"No, nevermind." he said. "I shouldn't have said that. Forgive me." With that, he turned and walked back to the inn. Lloyd stared after him.

"What was that all about?" he wondered out loud before following his father. The next day, the group decided to go back to Dirk's house as they were going to before they found Aura. The whole time they traveled, Aura was silent, except when she was firing spells at the few monsters they encountered. She seemed to be constantly lost in thought and distracted. Everyone was worried about her, but Kratos told them to leave her alone.

A few days later, they arrived at Dirk's house. Once in the yard, Noishe, whom Aura had seemed to take a liking to, ran to his shed beside the house. Hearing their voices, Dirk came out of the house and welcomed them all. Upon seeing Aura however, he froze and said,

"Wait a minute. I know you, you're--" he broke off as Aura's eyes went blank and she fell foreward, laying motionless on the ground, a petrified look on her face.


	13. Ch13 Trapped In A Memory

**Chapter 13: Trapped In A Memory**

"Aura!" cried Lloyd, rushing to her side. Kratos kneeled beside her and gently turned her so she was lying on her back with her head resting on his knee. Her eyes were slightly open, revealing a small strip of blue. Her mouth was also slightly open, and the green Twilight Crystal was glowing dimly, but slowly growing brighter every times she drew a breath. "What's wrong with her, Dad?" Lloyd asked, no longer hesitant to call Kratos by this title. Kratos didn't answer, but he picked up Aura and put her on his back as if giving her a piggyback ride.

"She needs to rest," he said to Dirk. "Where can I put her?" Dirk opened his mouth to reply, but Lloyd cut him off.

"You can put her in my room, but only after you tell me what's wrong with her." He said to Kratos. Kratos sighed exasperatedly.

"You're a stubborn kid, Lloyd." He said. "Just like your mother." Lloyd merely glared at him. "She seems to have collapsed from exhaustion," Kratos told him. "All of this stress must have worn her out." Lloyd said nothing, except,

"Oh." Dirk broke the silence by saying,

"Come on, let's get her to a bed." Kratos nodded, heart pounding, and followed him into the house. While she was being carried, Aura was still half conscious, but she could not see or hear anything going on around her. In her mind, the memory of her death flashed before her. Kratos stood in front of her, sword drawn and he was shaking. Noishe growled at her, protecting a small shadowy figure behind him. A loud roar rattled the air and she found that it had come from her. Then she realized what she was seeing. This scene was familiar, not only because she had experienced it, but because Kratos had told her about this. In a strained voice, she heard herself say,

"Please…Kratos. Kill…me. I don't want to hurt Lloyd…I don't…want to hurt you…I love…you both too much…I don't want to hurt anyone…" Kratos took a step forward.

"No! I can't!" he cried. "I won't kill you, Anna! There has to be another way!" Aura's heart skipped a beat as she heard this. Could she really be…?

"Please…Kratos! Kill me! End this!" Aura heard herself plea. "It will be better this way!" The spirit Aura's eyes filled with tears as she realized that this was the truth. This was what had happened to her. The monster Aura suddenly lashed out with its claws and struck Kratos across the chest. He flew backward, but quickly got up again, coughing. He ran back to her and cried.

"I can't Anna! I love you!" Anger erupted inside the spirit Aura as she saw Kvar behind Kratos, laughing mirthlessly as he escaped. The monster roared loudly, then the past Aura said,

"I…love you…too…but…that's why…I…want you to…kill me. I need you to end this!" Aura's past self explained. Tears came to Kratos' eyes and ran down his cheeks, but he slowly nodded. He stood for a moment, then stabbed out at her monster body with his sword. A howl of pain and rage escaped the monster and it lashed out at him again.

"I'm…sorry…Kratos…" the monster whispered as it hit him. He went flying backward and disappeared into the trees. The monster, now human, fell to the ground, blood gushing from her wounds. She looked like the spirit that was watching the memory, but she was covered in dirt and blood. Noishe stopped growling and ran over to her, whining. Aura watched her past self lay on the ground, taking short, labored breaths. Wishing the memory would end, Aura was startled when she heard a small voice.

"Mama?" The small figure had come out of the shadows. Spirit Aura put her hand to her mouth as she recognized him to be Lloyd. And while she watched him go to his dying mother, she was put down in\\onto Lloyd's bed to rest, a single tear running down her cheek.


	14. Ch13 Anna's Death

**Chapter 14: Anna's Death**

"Mama? Are you okay?" The tiny Lloyd crouched beside his mother. "What's wrong, Mama?" The dying Anna turned her head slowly to look at her son. His big brown eyes that he had inherited from his father, were wide with fear and worry. His mother reached up slowly and stroked his cheek.

"Oh Lloyd..." she murmured, her voice weak and shaky. Tears welled up in the small boy's eyes and his chin trembled.

"Mama, you be okay, right?" he whimpered. "You see, Mama, you be okay, you see. Daddy come back and make you better."

"No Lloyd, I'm sorry, but that can't happen..." his mother said weakly. "Mommy has to go away for a while." Tears began to fall from Lloyd's eyes and he hugged his mother's neck.

"No," he sobbed. "You be okay." Anna stroked baby Lloyd's cheek again.

"Please don't cry, Lloyd. Don't cry." Lloyd looked up at her. "I don't like to see you cry."

"Mama..." Lloyd whimpered. Suddenly, a voice came from behind Lloyd.

"Hey, are you alright?" A dwarf came hurrying over. "What happened?" Anna looked up at him.

"Please..." she whispered. "I don't have much time left...Please...take my son...take care of him...take care of Lloyd..." The dwarf nodded and Anna explained everything to him. When she was finished, she turned her head to Lloyd. She beckoned him to put his head close to her face. She gently kissed his cheek and said,

"Don't ever forget that Mommy loves you..." With this, Anna's last breath escaped her lungs as her life left her and baby Lloyd, sensing something was wrong, began to cry loudly and pitifully while Noishe howled mournfully for he knew that one of his masters was gone forever.


	15. Ch15 As If He Had Forgotten

**Chapter 15: As if He Had Forgotten**

Seconds after Lloyd began to cry, everything went black and Aura awoke. Her eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright, breathing as though she had been running. Catching her breath, she looked around. She was sitting in Lloyd's bed, alone in his room. Everyone else was outside, except for Kratos and Lloyd, who were standing on the terrace by Lloyd's bedroom.

Remembering what she had just seem Aura began to tremble. She knew who she really was now, the truth of her life of lies, what had really happened to her. All this time, they'd been with her, and she hadn't realized. How stupid she felt and was oddly annoyed that she hadn't suspected that Lloyd was her son. Now that she thought of it, it seemed kind of obvious.

As if he could sense that she was awake, Kratos turned and looked at her. Still trembling, she got up and walked over to them. Lloyd looked at her with a look of concern on his face.

"Aura, are you okay?" he asked. "You're shaking like crazy." Aura nodded.

"I-I'm fine," she assured him. "It was just dream." Lloyd appeared satisfied with this answer, for he said no more. (More like a nightmare...) she added silently.

A few hours later, everyone was in bed, except Aura. She sat alone, by Noishe's shed, back against the wall of the house, staring up at the stars in the night sky. She was silent, and lost in thought, but as she stood up to go to bed, Kratos came out of the door. She stared at him for a moment, then he said,

"There you are, I was wondering where you'd gotten to." Aura didn't reply, but thought for a moment. Then she said,

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Kratos blinked, surprised at this sudden question, then nodded and said,

"Alright." They then began to walk toward the woods and out of sight. Lloyd, watching them from the terrace, silently went through the house and followed them. He dashed through the trees, swiftly and silently, following Kratos and Aura's tracks in the soft earth. He slowed down when he heard their voices and stopped when he got to the edge of the clearing they were standing in. Aura appeared to be crying again and she was standing facing Kratos. Lloyd heard the end of what she was saying.

"...and I'm too much of a coward to tell him who I am..." Kratos, to Lloyd's surprise, reached out and took her in his arms, her arms around his neck and her face buried in his shoulder. She sobbed into his shoulder as he just stood there holding her. A few seconds later, however, he began to stroke her long brown hair comfortingly and said,

"You don't have to tell him right away...but you should still tell him. It would clear up a lot of things." Aura looked up at him and he shifted his arms down to her waist so she could move back and see him.

"I know..." she said. "But I guess I'm afraid he won't believe me, or he'll reject me...I"

"As was I." Kratos said gently. Aura looked into his eyes and smiled.

"Well, if it will make him happy, I'll tell him...I'll tell him tomorrow..." Kratos nodded and Lloyd watched, horrified as his father kissed Aura, as if he had forgotten all about his wife, Anna, and their son, Lloyd. As if all he cared about now was Aura and helping her find her lost memories. Lloyd wanted to look away, to run from his father and Aura, but he couldn't move at all. His body was completely numb, and he still watched as Kratos parted from Aura and simply hugged her, while she buried her face in his shoulder again, as if Kratos could protect her from all the fear and hurt in the world, as if he could bring back everything she had lost and make her pain go away.

And while she stood there, she began to hum a tune. A soft, sweet tune that sounded like a lullabye. Lloyd recognized it at once. He had sung that song all the time when he was young, so why was Aura, the woman he had only met two months ago, singing it? Why did Kratos kiss her? Why had she collapsed? And why did Dirk say he knew who she was? So many things didn't make sense, and when he had found the strength to move and gone back to bed, he couldn't fall asleep until long after the sun had already begun to rise.


	16. Ch16 The Truth About Aura

**Chapter 16:The Truth About Aura**

The next day, neither Kratos nor Aura gave any sign that they had left the night before. Only the two and Lloyd knew, but none said anything about it.

The day passed slowly, everyone relaxing, glad for a break from travelling. In the evening, when everyone was starting to get sleepy, Aura approached Lloyd, somewhat nervously.

"Lloyd, can I...talk to you for a second?" she asked. Lloyd nodded.

"Sure," he said, almost reluctantly, still unable to forget last night, or to forgive her for making Kratos forget Anna. He followed her outside, and she kept walking, leading him to the clearing that she and Kratos had been in the night before. Once there, she stopped, then said quietly,

"Lloyd, I..." she broke off. "I have something important I need to ask you, but I'm not exactly sure how to put it." Lloyd said nothing, not looking straight at her. "Damn..." Aura muttered. "I'm such a coward..." She turned to face Lloyd, scratched her head, then said, "Lloyd...I need your exsphere."

"W-wha?" Lloyd backed away a step.

"Your exsphere." said Aura. "I need it."

"But his is my mom's memento!" Lloyd protested. "I can't just give it away!"

"I know." said Aura." She brought her right hand up in front of her, and removed her glove. She then held her hand out to him, palm up. "Here." she said. "Take my hand." Lloyd looked at her warily.

"Why?"

"Just take it!" Aura said impatiently. Lloyd hesitated, then reached out to take her hand. He gasped as his hand passed straight through hers, causing it to go blue and transparent. "See?"

"You're...!" he cried, backing up. "You..what? What happened to you! What's happening to you!" Aura withdrew her hand, and looked down at him with a sad expression on her face.

"I know." she said. "My body may have been regenerated from my memories, and I may be standing here now, but I'm not alive, and my presence is fading fast. I cannot remain here, or even live until my soul has something to possess."

"Wait a minute," Lloyd said, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. "You're telling me you want to use my mother's exsphere to possess and gain a body? But, this is my mom's soul!"

"No, Lloyd. _My _soul. _My _body, my _life_ is contained within that exsphere. And unless I use that exsphere soon, I'll completely disappear again..and I won't get another chance to come back."

"So...there are two souls in my exsphere?" Lloyd asked, looking confused, trying to make sense of what Aura was saying.

"No, just me."

"But it was my mom's exsphere..."

"I know." Aura put her hand back out and turned her hand over. "Look at this scar." Lloyd looked. A small circular scar was there, the exact size and shape of an exsphere.

"What happened?"

"That exsphere used to be there. It was 'manufactured' on me, as the Desians put it." Aura said, putting her glove back on.

"Wait, that would mean..." Lloyd looked even more confused. "Aura, you're not making any sense."

Aura looked up at the dimming sky that was already dotted with stars, with a slightly happy, slightly regretful expression on her face.

"I had a dream," she said. "It was a memory of my past. It brought everything back. I know who I am now. I know what happened." Lloyd blinked, his head starting to hurt from thinking. Aura looked back at Lloyd. "My real name, isn't Aura." she told him. "My name...is Anna. And you...are my son." Lloyd stared at her in disbelief for a moment, before saying in a shaky voice,

"Mom?" Smiling, Anna nodded and smiled.

"Yes," she said. "Yes, Lloyd. It's me." Before either one could react, Anna's body was engulfed in a bright emerald light and all Lloyd could see was her shadow. "I...I'm running out of time..." she said, her voice shaky and scared-sounding. "I'll fade soon..."

"No!" Lloyd cried, taking a step forward. "How do I... how do I save you? Don't leave me alone again!" He ran toward her and tried to embrace her, but fell right through her and landed on the cold, hard ground. Looking up with tears in his eyes, he tried to hold in his crying as his mother began to fade.

"Just...bring me the exsphere...And don't ever forget...that I love you..." were the last words she said to him before she disappeared, leaving Lloyd all alone in the woods. He stood up slowly, tears now streaming down his face, staring at the spot his mother had been standing in only seconds before.

"I have to bring her back..."


	17. Ch17 To Find Anna

**Chapter 17: To Find Anna**

When Lloyd and Aura didn't come back by sundown, Kratos began to get agitated. He was pacing back and forth on the terrace, wondering where they could have gotten to, when Genis suddenly came stumbling up the stairs to Lloyd's bedroom.

"Kratos!" he cried. "It's Lloyd! Come quick!" Kratos stared at the young half-elf, trying to figure out if the news was good or bad.

"What happened?" he asked, following him.

"I don't know!" Genis said worriedly. "He won't say a word to anyone except, 'I need to tell him, I need to tell Kratos.'" The two hurried downstairs and outside, to where Lloyd was laying on the ground, face down. Kratos ran over and knelt next to him.

"Lloyd, what happened?" he asked. Lloyd's shoulders shook and he let out a strangled sob. Without lifting his head, he gasped,

"She's gone, we were too late, she disappeared, and she can't come back!" The rest of the group stared at the young swordsman, trying to figure out who he was talking about, but Kratos knew exactly who.

"Anna…" he muttered. Lloyd slowly got up so he was kneeling, then looked up at his father with red eyes. The seraphim remained motionless as his son did so. Lloyd, unable to control himself anymore, allowed the tears to come freely, and Kratos felt as if his heart was about to break. He studied his son for a moment, then, despite the fact that he never liked to show his emotions, reached out and hugged him tightly. After several minutes of sobbing into his father's chest, Lloyd mumbled,

"We've got to find her, Dad! We've got to bring her the exsphere!" Kratos nodded.

"I know." he said. "But we don't have to look far." Lloyd looked up at him.

"Why?"

"Because I know where she is."


	18. Ch18 Memories of Childhood

**Chapter 18: Memories of Childhood**

Disclaimer: Whoooooaaaa it's been like...a million years since my last update, I can't even remember the last time I played Tales of Symphonia but I got really tired of seeing this unfinished so I am just gonna wing it! Woo! Uhm...some characters might be a teensy bit OOC, but it's all good. I'll do my best.

A quiet sense of serenity filled Lloyd as he stared at the house in front of him, despite his tight schedule. The house was old, and in need of a good fixing up due to years of being uninhabited, and yet...it was so familiar. He had spent a year or so of his baby life in this house with his family, and though he didn't remember, he felt oddly at peace in this place. After a moment, he began to walk toward the house, and a feeling of anticipation filled him as he drew closer. The front door opened easily, with a loud creak. Its hinges were very rusty, in desperate need of oil. The feelings of serenity and anticipation grew as Lloyd stepped through the doorway, as if he were re-entering his old life. Everything inside was covered in a thick layer of dust, and the air smelled slightly moldy, giving the house an almost eerie feeling, despite the comfort it held. His footsteps seemed very loud as he walked slowly through the house, echoing off of the walls, reverberating through the empty space.

He was completely silent as he made his way through his childhood home, resisting the strong urge to pick up familiar looking items, knowing that he had little time to save his fading mother. As he thought of this, he began to move faster, making his way to the end of the hallway that led out of the kitchen. The hallway led him up a narrow staircase, that creaked as he stepped on each stair. There were faded photographs hanging on the walls, their frames cracked and peeling, the pictures yellowing. He looked at them with longing and sorrow growing in his heart as he thought of the many years that he'd missed with his parents. Perhaps they could make up for lost time now...

He was now on the second floor of the house, where there were three doors. He went to the closest one and opened it. It was only a closet, but it still held some sense of wonder to him. There were several baby blankets and towels here, more fragments of his forgotten childhood here.

_Lloyd..._He heard Anna's voice in his mind and turned his head toward the other doors. She was here...wasn't she..Taking one last look into the closet he closed the door and headed further down the hallway. The next door he opened led him into a bedroom with one large bed in the middle and several other pieces of furniture around the room. This must have been Kratos and Anna's room. He wandered over to the dresser where more faded yellow photographs sat in peeling leather frames. The last one he laid eyes on made his breath catch in his chest. There, a three year old version of himself sat giggling in his mother's arms, Anna smiling warmly and Kratos with his arms around them both, a gentle smile across his face. This must have been the last picture taken before their lives had been torn apart.

"Mom..." he whispered. "Dad..."

_Lloyd..._ Turning, he saw a green glimmer of light flash past the open doorway in the hallway. He ran after it and it led him into the last room in the hall. This must have been his room. Hesitantly, he opened the door and as he saw the inside of the room, thousands of memories came rushing back to him. Kratos reading to him as he sat on the edge of his bed with him sitting contentedly in his lap, while Anna looked in from the doorway. Himself sitting on the floor playing with his toys and the friends he'd invented for himself, forgetting the rest of the world for a moment. The lullabye that his mother would sing to him every night before he went to sleep. And even now he could almost see her sitting on the edge of his bed, waiting for him.

"You came for me," she said softly, and he realized that she really was there. He nodded and moved toward her. "I don't have much time left, Lloyd..

"Tell me," Lloyd said, his voice shaking. "Tell me how to save you. I don't want you to go away again, Mom..." He walked closer to her. Anna studied him for a moment, then took the hand with his exsphere and placed it over heart. The small bit of light that was around her vanished and Lloyd's exsphere began to glow. Anna then released his hand, and the glowing vanished.

"Now," she said. "Now I won't ever have to leave you again." She smiled at her son and the warmth of her smile seemed to spread to Lloyd.

"Mom!" he cried and hugged her tightly, as if he would never let go. She put her arms around his shoulders with on hand on the back of his head, her chin resting on the top of his head, hugging him as she used to do when he was a young child. Anna smiled happily. She'd done it..She'd finally gotten her family back...

Anna hugged Lloyd tighter as he began to cry uncontrollably into his mother's shoulder, as she had done to Kratos the night before.

"Don't cry Lloyd.." she murmured, as she had done before she died. "I don't like to see you cry." Lloyd only hugged her tighter, as if afraid to let her go.

"I...I can't believe it's really you.." he whispered between sobs.

"It is." Anna said softly. "And don't ever forget that I love you."


	19. Ch19 Looking at the Stars

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or anything to do with it, they are property of Namco. Yes.

**Chapter 19: Looking at the Stars**

Everyone was asleep by the time they got back. The moon was high in the sky and the black sky was dotted with tiny stars. Lloyd walked silently, barely able to believe that his mother was really walking there beside him. Anna had her arm around her son's shoulder, as if to assure him that she would never leave him. Though they said nothing, they both silently agreed that they wouldn't tell anyone about Anna just yet.

They sat on the terrace together, staring up at the stars, enjoying each other's company. Lloyd was sitting with his head on Anna's shoulder and she was sitting with her hands in her lap. They sat in silence, not wanting to wake anyone. A few minutes later, however, Lloyd had fallen asleep, and Anna sat silently, peaceful and happy, something she had not felt in a long time. As she sat motionless, listening to the crickets and other insects, a sudden noise made her jump. Kratos came out of the house and sat beside her.

"I see he's found you." he said quietly. Anna smiled and said,

"Just like you knew he would." Kratos smiled and put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned toward him and laid Lloyd's head in her lap. "So now...I guess our family is back together again."

"Yes," Kratos agreed. Anna sighed.

"Finally...after so many years..." Kratos looked up at the sky and said,

"Do you remember when we took Lloyd out to that place in the forest to see the red stars?" Anna smiled and nodded.

"He was so amazed. He'd never seen red stars before." She looked down at her only son, who was sleeping peacefully with his head in her lap. She stroked his hair softly, as she did when he was a baby. "He asked me if the red stars were the campfires of angels," she said, chuckling. "Then he said all of the stars were fireflies that got stuck in the sky." Kratos smiled and nodded.

"Yes..He was amazed by the smallest of things." he said. "I guess some things never change." Anna stroked Lloyd's hair again.

"I never got to see him grown up...but he was raised well. He's grown into a good kid." she said. Then, changing the subject, she said

"I'm glad we were able to be a family again...before...before you have to go to Derris-Kharlan..." Kratos said nothing, so Anna continued. "I don't like the choice, but...you won't change your mind, and it _is_ best for the world..."

"Yes." Kratos said. He then thought for a moment before saying, "Anna? Why were you regenerated?"

"The Twilight Crystal," Anna replied. "The gem Lloyd found and begged you to make into a necklace for me, when he was young."

"I see.." said Kratos. "But...why were you turned into the Key of the Twilight?"

"I don't know...but.." she said. "My body was regenerated in exchange for my memories. Without my mind, I was easy to manipulate, and was soon convinced that I had always been the Key of the Twilight."

"And when we first found you..why was it that you mentioned Mithos..?"

"He was behind all of it. He wanted me to be the Key of the Twilight, because then he could use me to make you do what he wanted. The Key of the Twilight's purpose is to make sure that the Great Seed cannot be awakened. As long as the Great Seed remained dormant, Martel could be revived, and the world would live in a perpetual twilight of sorts."

"I see.." Kratos murmured. "So he planned on Lloyd finding the crystal and being the Key of the Twilight originally, but he gave it to you, which made you the key, and that worked out even better.."

"Yeah.." Anna replied softly.

The Aurion family spent a couple more hours looking at the stars, until they carried Lloyd inside and went to bed.

A/N: Wow....my chapters are sooo shortt..sigh


	20. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Well folks this here's the finale to my fic which has been long unfinished. Too long, several years haha, sorry I've just had the worst case of writer's block. It'll be a short one but I think that this is a nice little ending to the adventure. Please read my author's note at the end.

**Epilogue**

Two weeks passed with the Aurions spending as much time as possible together, not wanting the day when Kratos had to leave to come. But, as they desperately wanted time to pass slowly, the days went by all too fast. Kratos' departure day was upon them, and standing at the base of the ruins of the Tower of Salvation, Kratos regretted his choice, but knew he could not turn back.

Lloyd and Anna stood side by side, not wanting Kratos to leave, but knowing he would not change his mind.

"Are you really going away to Derris-Kharlan?" Lloyd asked, failing to keep the despair from his voice, desperately hoping Kratos would make a last minute decision to stay.

"Of a half-elf of Cruxis remains here, the other half-elves will have no place to live." Kratos said. "As the last surviving member of Cruxis, I must bear the responsibility for what has happened here."

"I'm going on a journey," Lloyd told his father. "I'm going to collect all the exspheres remaining in this land."

"And I will discard all of Cruxis' exspheres into space." Kratos replied. Looking at his wife, he said, "What about you, Anna? What will you do?"

"I'm going to return to Iselia." she said. "Since Raine and Genis will be travelling, the village will be in need of a new school teacher."

"It is a good plan.." Kratos said softly. Anna walked up to him and hugged him tightly.

"I'll really miss you," she said quietly. "But I know you won't change your mind, so...good luck."

"And I will miss you as well." Kratos murmured. He then kissed her one last time, and Anna went back to stand beside Lloyd as Kratos turned to his son.

"Lloyd. Please use that sword to send me to Derris-Kharlan." Lloyd nodded.

"Goodbye...Dad." he said, wanting Kratos to know that he had finally accepted that he was his father. Kratos could not find the will to speak until he was on his way to Mithos' old kingdom.

"Don't die before I do Lloyd...my son." These were the last words they heard from Kratos Aurion, Angel of Cruxis, before he was swallowed up by a bright flash of light and send to the mana comet of Derris-Kharlan.

A/N: Well guys that's the end of it. I really hope you enjoyed the ride, I know I did. I know my chapters are really short but they look so much longer when I write them on paper...

Anyway, I know I stole a lot of dialogue for this chapter from the game but I couldn't bring myself to wreck the moment by changing it too much, so...this was the result. I think I'm going to miss working on it even though it's gone incomplete for years, but now that it's done I feel a strange sense of...something. Same sort of sad feeling I get when I finish a game, when I realize that it's over and I have nothing more to work toward. Oh well this definitely isn't my first Tales of Symphonia story and it won't be my last, especially now that I have Tales of Symphonia:Dawn of the New World (AKA TOS:Knights of Ratatosk) I have an interesting idea for another crossover sort of thing and it's not going to be completely outrageous so I hope you're looking forward to it as much as I am. Thank you to all of the people who kept reading and kept supporting this story over the years even though I've been so crappy and slow at updating. I hope you'll forgive me for that. I enjoyed writing this and I like the end result, so I hope you did/do too. Thanks guys, and until I write again.

~Wavemasterkaz


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